When I can’t sleep, I often free-verse about whatever’s on my mind. It’s always interesting reading it the next morning. From the other night:

The world
is full
of enough
dissonance

produce
melody
perform
alchemy

sift the good notes
from the bad
the serene
from the siren song

step in rhythm
grow in concert

we are all notes
in this
divine
orchestra
of existence

It seems we all want to be one with our natural state — content, fulfilled, thriving, but the truth is we want more than that— we want to transcend this natural state, to not be bound by the constrictions of this world, where the good is always intertwined with a bit of “bad”. Only in the next world is good 100% and bad is not even a concept. As a kid, and even today, when I walk out of the theater after a superhero movie, I feel like I have those powers, if only for a little bit. The allure of these comic books turned movies is the thought of breaking free of one’s limitations, of ridding oneself of reality, of turning what is natural into supernatural.

We’ve been reading about the Mishkan and how Hashem commanded Aharon and his sons to bring special sacrifices for 7 days to prepare themselves for their service in the Mishkan. Every 7 days, Moshe would take the Mishkan apart and put it back together, as the Jews wandered through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. This week in Shemini (eight), we learn that the service of the Mishkan actually begins on the “eighth” day. As we read, “And it was on the eighth day . . . and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people . . . “The Kli Yakar asks why it’s called the “eighth day.” The week and consecration of the Mishkan is 7 days.. he answers his own question, that related to the eighth day it’s written, “Today the Lord appears to you.” Hashem appears on and because of the eighth day, a day beyond the natural order of things. I can’t put all that I wrote in this little taste of the Dvar, but the biggest takeaway for me is that when we elevate our soul above our body, aligning our physical selves to our spiritual selves we can transform our natural space into a supernatural setting.


Thanks for listening/reading!
Much love & Shabbat Shalom!🤍🕊
- Erez // @erezsafar

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Step in Rhythm, Grow in Concert (leviticus: shemini)

Light of Infinite is a blog, a podcast, a festival and a soon to be released book series, where Erez Safar acts as Your Spiritual DJ, curating insights into the weekly Torah portion and the infinite light of Kabbalah.

The project began on the Yartzeit (yearly memorial) of my ex wife’s mother’s passing, and it’s inspired by both her (Yehudis Chava bat Yakov Dov) and my mother (Frida Levona bat Shalom), who passed the same year. When I think of these women, I think of tzedaka and chesed, words that are hard to translate because they capture the real depths of words like ‘generous’, ‘giving’, ‘loving’, and ‘kindness’. These two women embodied and exemplified these qualities to an angelic degree: so full of life, love, warmth, and light, at every turn, every single moment. Being around them inspired me to be more loving, more giving, more full of a zest for each moment in life.

My goal with this ongoing project is to spread that inspiration and Light that I received and still receive from them. Using each week’s Torah portion, delving deep into the text, the commentaries, and the Kabbalah connected to it, I’ll share insights that bring that inspiration and Light to life for me, and will hopefully do the same for you.

As DJ Shadow sampled on his seminal record, Entroducing, “It’s not me that’s coming through– the music’s coming through me”. With that said, I do not take any recognition for any part of the material except the writing style. The recognition is meant for the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and the Giants of Torah that reveal the the Light of Infinite in a way that only they can. So, I would like to give thanks to some of the Chassidic Masters and Rabbis that I draw the most inspiration from, whose wisdom I’m attempting to bring down and make accessible. These include Reb Nachman & Reb Nosson Mi’Breslov, The Arizal, The Ba’al Shem Tov, R’Menachem Mendel Schneerson (the Rebbe), Carlebach, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and so many others.

I hope that these words inspire you to delve deeper into the Torah and kabbalisitc texts, and, as Chaim Vital says, “One can go deeper and deeper, as far as the human mind can delve, and it will always yield new treasures.”

Light of Infinite is an upcoming book series where I act as your spiritual DJ, curating insights into the weekly Torah portion and the infinite light of Kabbalah. The sefer (book) will include newly edited, and in some cases, expanded text on the weekly parashah. There will also be a section on key concepts of Kabbalah as well as a section that includes stories and info on some of my favorite Rebbe’s.

Step in Rhythm, Grow in Concert (leviticus: shemini)

light of infinite